diff --git a/libs/workspace/dashboard/feature/src/lib/rails/dashboard-live-epg.presenter.spec.ts b/libs/workspace/dashboard/feature/src/lib/rails/dashboard-live-epg.presenter.spec.ts
index 47bd26b81..6b5d53e2b 100644
--- a/libs/workspace/dashboard/feature/src/lib/rails/dashboard-live-epg.presenter.spec.ts
+++ b/libs/workspace/dashboard/feature/src/lib/rails/dashboard-live-epg.presenter.spec.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,12 @@ import { signal } from '@angular/core';
 import { TestBed } from '@angular/core/testing';
 import { EMPTY, of, throwError } from 'rxjs';
 import { EpgService } from '@iptvnator/epg/data-access';
-import type { EpgProgram, PlaylistMeta } from '@iptvnator/shared/interfaces';
+import {
+    DEFAULT_DASHBOARD_RAILS_SETTINGS,
+    type EpgProgram,
+    type PlaylistMeta,
+    type PortalActivityItem,
+} from '@iptvnator/shared/interfaces';
 import { SettingsStore } from '@iptvnator/services';
 import { DashboardDataService } from '@iptvnator/workspace/dashboard/data-access';
 import { DashboardLiveEpgPresenter } from './dashboard-live-epg.presenter';
@@ -37,6 +42,10 @@ describe('DashboardLiveEpgPresenter', () => {
     let presenter: DashboardLiveEpgPresenter;
     let getCurrentProgramsForChannels: jest.Mock;
     let playlists: ReturnType<typeof signal<PlaylistMeta[]>>;
+    let recentItems: ReturnType<typeof signal<PortalActivityItem[]>>;
+    let dashboardRails: ReturnType<
+        typeof signal<typeof DEFAULT_DASHBOARD_RAILS_SETTINGS>
+    >;
     /** Portal answers are the sibling presenter's job; stub it out here. */
     let portal: {
         connect: jest.Mock;
@@ -64,6 +73,8 @@ describe('DashboardLiveEpgPresenter', () => {
             { _id: 'portal', serverUrl: 'http://portal' } as PlaylistMeta,
         ]);
 
+        recentItems = signal<PortalActivityItem[]>([]);
+        dashboardRails = signal({ ...DEFAULT_DASHBOARD_RAILS_SETTINGS });
         portal = {
             connect: jest.fn(),
             setPinnedKeys: jest.fn(),
@@ -84,7 +95,7 @@ describe('DashboardLiveEpgPresenter', () => {
                     useValue: {
                         playlists,
                         // The presenter also derives the portal source list.
-                        globalRecentItems: signal([]),
+                        globalRecentItems: recentItems,
                         globalFavoriteLiveItems: signal([]),
                         globalRecentLiveItems: signal([]),
                     },
@@ -97,7 +108,7 @@ describe('DashboardLiveEpgPresenter', () => {
                     provide: SettingsStore,
                     useValue: {
                         resolvedEpgOffsetMinutes: () => 0,
-                        dashboardRails: signal(undefined),
+                        dashboardRails,
                     },
                 },
             ],
@@ -166,6 +177,32 @@ describe('DashboardLiveEpgPresenter', () => {
         );
     });
 
+    it('pins the hero row only while the hero rail shows one', () => {
+        const heroLive = {
+            id: 'x-7',
+            title: 'Hero channel',
+            type: 'live',
+            source: 'xtream',
+            playlist_id: 'p',
+            category_id: '1',
+            xtream_id: 7,
+        } as PortalActivityItem;
+        recentItems.set([heroLive]);
+        TestBed.tick();
+
+        expect(portal.setPinnedKeys).toHaveBeenLastCalledWith(['xtream::p::7']);
+
+        // With the rail hidden nothing is pinned: the first portal row is
+        // then a favourite, and pinning it would keep asking for a card
+        // nobody can see.
+        dashboardRails.set({
+            ...DEFAULT_DASHBOARD_RAILS_SETTINGS,
+            hero: false,
+        });
+        TestBed.tick();
+        expect(portal.setPinnedKeys).toHaveBeenLastCalledWith([null]);
+    });
+
     it('prefers the portal answer and forwards what the portal presenter owns', () => {
         const xmltvCard = card({
             id: 'x',
diff --git a/libs/workspace/dashboard/feature/src/lib/rails/dashboard-live-epg.presenter.ts b/libs/workspace/dashboard/feature/src/lib/rails/dashboard-live-epg.presenter.ts
index 977ed2cfe..70baea7e6 100644
--- a/libs/workspace/dashboard/feature/src/lib/rails/dashboard-live-epg.presenter.ts
+++ b/libs/workspace/dashboard/feature/src/lib/rails/dashboard-live-epg.presenter.ts
@@ -19,12 +19,12 @@ import {
     switchMap,
 } from 'rxjs';
 import { EpgService } from '@iptvnator/epg/data-access';
-import type {
-    EpgProgram,
-    PortalActivityItem,
+import {
+    normalizeDashboardRailsSettings,
+    type EpgProgram,
+    type PortalActivityItem,
 } from '@iptvnator/shared/interfaces';
 import { SettingsStore } from '@iptvnator/services';
-import { normalizeDashboardRailsSettings } from '@iptvnator/shared/interfaces';
 import { normalizeEpgUrls } from '@iptvnator/shared/m3u-utils';
 import {
     buildDashboardPortalLiveEpgKey,
@@ -131,17 +131,25 @@ export class DashboardLiveEpgPresenter {
         { initialValue: new Map<string, EpgProgram | null>() }
     );
 
+    private readonly rails = computed(() =>
+        normalizeDashboardRailsSettings(this.settingsStore.dashboardRails?.())
+    );
+
+    /** The live row behind the hero panel, when that rail shows one. */
+    private readonly heroLiveItem = computed<PortalActivityItem | null>(() => {
+        const hero = this.data.globalRecentItems()[0] ?? null;
+        return this.rails().hero && hero?.type === 'live' ? hero : null;
+    });
+
     // The Xtream/Stalker live rows behind the hero and the two live rails.
     // Their programmes come from the portal, asked for lazily per visible
     // card; M3U rows stay on the XMLTV batch above.
     private readonly portalItems = computed<readonly PortalActivityItem[]>(
         () => {
-            const rails = normalizeDashboardRailsSettings(
-                this.settingsStore.dashboardRails?.()
-            );
-            const hero = this.data.globalRecentItems()[0] ?? null;
+            const rails = this.rails();
+            const hero = this.heroLiveItem();
             return [
-                ...(rails.hero && hero?.type === 'live' ? [hero] : []),
+                ...(hero ? [hero] : []),
                 ...(rails.liveFavorites
                     ? this.data
                           .globalFavoriteLiveItems()
@@ -160,12 +168,12 @@ export class DashboardLiveEpgPresenter {
         this.portal.connect(this.portalItems);
         // The hero sits at the top of the page and is never scrolled into
         // view, so its key is wanted regardless of what the rails report.
+        // Only the hero: the first entry of `portalItems` is a favourite
+        // when that rail is hidden, and pinning it would keep asking for a
+        // card nobody can see.
         effect(() => {
-            const [first] = this.portalItems();
-            const heroKey =
-                first?.type === 'live'
-                    ? buildDashboardPortalLiveEpgKey(first)
-                    : null;
+            const hero = this.heroLiveItem();
+            const heroKey = hero ? buildDashboardPortalLiveEpgKey(hero) : null;
             untracked(() => this.portal.setPinnedKeys([heroKey]));
         });
     }